The Knight Bus
by fresh42jazz
Summary: Blaise reflects upon his feelings. February challenge for FA: Blaise Zabini has a thing for Ernie Prang.


Blaise Zabini didn't know why. Honestly, it wasn't as if he had _asked_ for it to happen. Who wants to have an all-consuming attraction to… well, a person like _him_? Thinking about the whole situation, it was really rather revolting. The man was rather… wrinkly. Not to mention the Glasses. They dominated his face and magnified his eyes.

Blaise shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. It wasn't as if he would actually _do_ anything about it. It was _Ernie Prang_, for Merlin's sake. He would become the laughingstock of wizarding society.

Besides, he was too beautiful to be with an old coot like Ernie. Dear Merlin, he was beginning to sound like Draco.

"I _can't_ like him!"

"You can't like _whom_?"

"Er… hello, Draco. I was… um… I just…"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Chill, Blaise. I don't really care that much."

The Slytherin watched as his blonde-haired friend grabbed his Transfigurations textbook before returning to the Common Room. Blaise groaned. Draco may have _pretended_ not to care, but he was sure that the boy would just wait until he was least prepared before questioning him.

Not for the first time, the dark skinned student cursed the day that he had flagged down the Knight Bus. He _could_ have walked. There really had been no urgent need to take the bus. Unfortunately, he _had_ taken the bus, and now he couldn't keep his mind off the elderly driver.

He buried his head in his pillow and let out a scream of frustration. _Why_ couldn't he stop thinking about the man? Ernie Prang. Even his _name_ was annoying. Blaise let out a snort of laughter. If this was all he had left, he was truly doomed.

Finally, after several more moments of contemplation, he decided to resolve this issue later, when he wasn't worrying about his exams.

Three weeks later, Blaise Zabini was once again sticking out his wand arm, hailing the bus. As he stepped on the bus, he took a good look at the driver before continuing on to collapse onto one of the many armchairs spread throughout the bus. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked out the window at the landscape zooming past.

Having reached his destination, he smiled at the young boy who had taken his ticket. Shunpike, was it? No matter. He only had eyes for one person on that bus. It was then that he knew that he was unequivocally and without a doubt in love with Ernie Prang.

A month later, Blaise Zabini was still in love with Ernie Prang. He had never said anything, of course. No self-respecting Slytherin (or person, for that matter) would be stupid enough to just rush onto the bus and declare everlasting love for the old driver. Instead, he was sitting at the kitchen table in his new apartment with a cup of tea in his hand, skimming through the newest copy of the Daily Prophet.

The sound of his teacup smashing against the wooden floor interrupted the peaceful silence of the morning. Blaise stared in shock at the paper, words blurring together as he read one section over and over, not comprehending what it meant.

"Ernie Prang, the former driver of the Knight Bus, was found dead this morning in his home due to natural causes. A memorial service will be held for Mr. Prang tomorrow at noon in the conference room at the Department of Magical Deaths and Births at the Ministry of Magic. Anyone is welcome to attend."

The next day found the young man standing in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. He approached the security desk and handed over his wand to be scanned. He nodded to the guard, barely aware of the greeting offered to him. He strode towards the lifts and stepped into the open one on the end. He took a deep breath as he pushed the button labeled "Deaths and Births."

Blaise stepped out of the elevator to see a handmade sign pointing him towards the memorial service. He slowly made his way down a short hallway and into a small conference room. When he arrived, there was nothing in the bare room save for a coffin placed on a small pedestal near the front of the room.

He stepped towards the casket, telling himself how stupid it all was. How could he be in love with a man whom he had only seen a few times? He had never even exchanged any words with the guy aside from a short "Hello." He glanced at the corpse for a few moments before turning around and swiftly leave the Department and the Ministry.

As soon as he returned home, he curled into a ball on his bed. For whatever incomprehensible reason, Blaise Zabini had had a thing for Ernie Prang, _had_ being to operative word. Blaise knew that he would have to move on with his life. But, for the moment, he was content to just lay there, thinking about his lost "love," Ernie.


End file.
